Applying for
a passport
from outside
the UK
Guide to the online
application service
Contents
Before you start 1
Countersignature
10
Things you need to know 2
Supporting documents and delivery 11
What type of passport are you
applying for?
3
Who is the passport for?
Delivery information
12
4
Contact us
12
Previous passports
5
Other information
12
Parents’ details
6
Protecting your personal information 12
Additional information
8
Service standards
13
Passport fee
8
Identity interviews
14
Declaration
9
Before you start
This is a guide for applicants applying for a British
passport from outside the UK using the online
application service.
• Pay & Print – you will need to enter your card
details. Once you have paid you will have to print
the declaration form and other guidance. You can
save the form and print it elsewhere.
You can use this guide to help you complete the
form online, or you can simply use the online screen
help, which is available on each page of the online
application form.
• Sign & Send – at this point you will need to sign the
printed declaration form. The guidance will tell you
where to send it, what documents you must include,
whether or not you require a countersignatory and
what kind of photos are acceptable.
What is the online application service?
The online application service allows you to submit
your personal information securely, and pay for
your passport online. The service will tell you which
sections to complete and what supporting documents
you need to provide, based on how old you are, and
the type of passport you’re applying for.
Who can apply using the online service?
This service is for British applicants from certain
countries applying from outside the UK. In those
countries it’s the only way to apply for a British
passport. Check www.gov.uk/overseas-passports for
specific advice about how to apply for your passport
from the country you are in.
How does the online service work?
There are 3 application stages when you make an
online application for a passport.
Where can I get more information to help
complete my application?
You can use the information in the following pages in
this guide, or as you go through the online process
there are ‘Help on this’ buttons next to the boxes you
need to complete. There are also help pages under
the ‘Useful information’ bar on the right hand side of
each online screen.
What happens once I’ve submitted my
information online and paid the fee?
Once you’ve submitted your information and paid
for your passport, the online service will create a
personalised declaration pack for you to download
and print. You will need to sign the declaration
form and post it to HM Passport Office with your
supporting documents and photos, to the address
given in the pack. HM Passport Office will begin
processing your application when we receive your
completed declaration form.
• Create & Check - you will be asked to create your
application telling us the type of passport you want
and personal details of the person who the passport
is for. You will be able to check and edit your
application, and we will show you the total amount
that you will need to pay.
1
Things you need to know
Get it right
• Don’t book travel or visas until you have your
passport.
• We cannot accept responsibility for travel you
book before it arrives. We do our best, but
cannot guarantee to return your passport
within a certain time.
When can I renew my passport?
You can renew your passport whenever you want. You
do not have to wait for it to run out. We will add any
period that your passport has left to run (in whole
months up to nine months), to your new passport.
What information do I need to complete an
application online?
If you are renewing a passport you will need your
current passport and any other non-British uncancelled
passports with you, and you’ll need their numbers.
If you are applying for a first British passport you
will need passport numbers of parents (or adoptive
parents) if they had British passports, their dates and
place of birth as well as what their nationality and
citizenship was at the time of your birth. You will also
need their date of marriage if applicable. You may
need these details for grandparents as well if you
were born outside the UK or your parents were born
on or after 1 January 1983.
How do I pay online?
You must pay in pounds sterling by credit card or debit
card.You must ensure that you have checked with your
card provider that your card is valid for this international
transaction and that adequate funds are available.The
cards we accept are: Mastercard,Visa,Visa Electron,Visa
Debit and Maestro (UK Domestic). We don’t accept
Maestro (International) cards.
What if I can’t pay online?
If you don’t have one of the cards we accept then you should ask a friend or relative if they can pay on your behalf.
Can I save an application and return to it later?
You can begin a passport application and then save it
before it’s complete, but you must return and finish
the application within 72 hours.
Do I need to provide photos?
Yes, two photos. The declaration pack you’ll be given
at the end of the online application gives advice on
what photos are acceptable. If your photos don’t
meet our guidelines your passport will be delayed.
Do all applications need a countersignatory?
No. Check page 10 to find out if you need one.
Will I need an interview?
Please see page 14 for more details.
How do I track the progress of my application?
You can log in to the online application service using
the username and password provided when you save
and exit, or at the end of the process if you complete it
without saving, to check the progress of your application.
2
What type of passport are you applying for?
Get it right
• If you have previously held a British passport as
an adult or child that was issued for five or ten
years, it isn’t damaged and you don’t need to
change any personal details, you need to apply
for a renewal.
• You can’t renew an expired ‘old blue’ style
passport. This is a passport with a dark blue
cover that was issued up until the early 1990s.
You must apply as a first-time applicant
and send the blue passport to us with your
supporting documents.
Adult application
An adult is 16 or over. If you are going to turn 16
within two weeks, you will be issued with an adult
passport. Adult passports are normally valid for 10
years.
Child application
A child is under 16. Child passports are normally valid
for five years.
Renewal
If you already have an existing, undamaged British
passport, and your name and British national status
have not changed you should apply for a renewal.
Lost or stolen passport replacement
If you are applying to replace a passport that has been
lost or stolen you should apply for a lost or stolen
replacement passport.
Damaged passport replacement
If you have damaged your existing passport and
you are applying to replace it you should apply for a
damaged passport replacement.
Extension of a passport to full validity
If your last passport was issued for one year or less,
and you are applying to extend it you should apply for
an extension of a passport to full validity. Passports
with limited validity would have only been issued
exceptionally in a small number of cases (eg for those
traveling urgently due to compassionate reasons or
government business).
Changes to an existing passport
If you have changed your name, photo or if there is a
change to your British national status you should apply
for a change to an existing passport.
If you are applying to renew your existing British
passport and your appearance has changed so
significantly that you would not be recognized from
the photograph in your existing passport, you should
apply for a change to an existing passport.
If you are applying to renew your existing British
passport and your appearance has changed so
significantly that you would not be recognised from
the photograph in your existing passport, you should
apply for a change to an existing passport.
First British passport
If you have never had a British passport before or you
were previously only included as a child on someone
else’s passport or are renewing an ‘old blue’ style
passport you should apply for a First British passport.
This includes those who were not British at birth but
have gained naturalisation or registration as a British
national and are applying for their first British passport.
3
Who is the passport for?
Get it right
• The name you enter should match your birth
certificate or previous passport. If it doesn’t, it
could delay your application.
• If you don’t have enough space to write your
name or contact information please provide
the full details when you get to the ‘Additional
information’ section of the online form.
Names to be shown on your passport
• The name that is shown on the passport should be
the name that is used for all purposes.
• We can add a limited number of titles to your
British passport if you ask. Visit www.gov.uk/
changing-passport-information for more advice.
• Enter names under ‘First and middle name(s)’
and ‘Surname’ that appear on your supporting
documents such as your birth certificate and/or
previous passport.
• The personal details section of the passport can only
include up to 30 characters (including spaces) for
first and middle names and a further 30 characters
for surnames. If your names are longer, please
shorten them in a way you would want them to be
shown on your passport. You should tell us your full
name when you get to the ‘Additional information’
section of the online form. We will add your full
name on the observation page on your passport.
• If you have recently changed your name, enter your
name as it is now.
• Special characters and accent marks on names cannot
be included on British passports. Alternative spellings
are listed in the guidance at www.gov.uk/government/
publications/names-and-changes-of-name. If your
name has a special character or accent mark please
enter your name using the alternative spelling.
Change of name in passport
• If you are changing your name, put your new name
under ‘First and middle names’ and ‘Surname’ and
put your previous names under ‘Maiden or all
previous names’.
• You will need to provide proof of your change
of name if this is different from your supporting
documents. Send proof to support every name
change. This applies if you are getting married
or forming a civil partnership and you want your
passport to be in your new name. The declaration
pack will tell you what proof you will need to send.
• If you no longer want your middle name to be
included in your new passport when it has been on
previous passports, you should tell us when you get
to the ‘Additonal information’ section of the online
form. You will also have to provide supporting
documents that show that you no longer use your
middle name. If you don’t, we will add your name to
match what is in your previous passport.
• Provide all of your maiden or previous names that
you have been known by (surname first and then
first and middle names).
• You cannot change a child’s name unless you have
the permission of everyone who has parental
responsibility for the child.
• You should check the requirements for the country
you are in for when and how a name can be
changed as this may not meet UK requirements.
If you live in such a country, HM Passport Office
will issue your passport in the new name with an
observation to say that the holder is also known by
their original name.
• HM Passport Office cannot accept responsibility for
any problems encountered as a result of issuing a
passport in a new name which is not recognised in
the country you live in.
Change of name for newly-weds and new
civil partners
• If you are getting married or forming a civil
partnership and will be changing your name, and
you plan to travel to another country shortly after
the ceremony, or want to use your passport in your
new name shortly after the ceremony, we can issue
a passport in your new name up to three months
beforehand. In some cases we will not be able to
issue a passport within 3 months, but will contact
you if this applies to you.
• The passport will only be valid from the date of the
wedding/civil partnership, and so can be used after
the date of your ceremony. Your old passport will
be cancelled and you will no longer be able to use it
for travelling. It can be returned to you to be used
as an identity document, but you must be sure that
the authorities in the country where you are living
are content for you to have a cancelled passport
4
as your identity document which may also contain
your current residence permit or work visa. You
must consider the consequences of cancelling your
current passport in your existing name and not
having a valid document for a time.
• You will need to send a ‘Post-date’ form (PD2) with
this application. The person who will carry out the
ceremony should fill in part 1 and you should fill
in part 2 (using your current – not future – name
and signature). Get more details and a copy of the
PD2 form from www.gov.uk/changing-passportinformation or by contacting the passport adviceline.
Gender
• Select the relevant box to say whether you (or your
child) are male or female.
• If you are transgender (live as a different gender
to that shown on your birth certificate) or if you
have changed or are in the process of changing your
gender, you can get more guidance at www.gov.uk/
changing-passport-information
Place of birth
• You will be asked for the names of the town and
country you were born in as shown on your birth,
registration or naturalisation certificate or previous
British passport.
Current address
• You will be asked for your full residential address
(where you live) including state or province, and
postcode (where applicable).
• We may check you live at the address you give. If
you don’t, it may delay your application unless you
explain the circumstances when you get to the
‘Additional information’ section of the online form.
• We will not normally return your passport to an
address that is different from the applicant’s current
address. If you want it delivered to a different
address, select this option and complete the address
field that follows. You will need to explain why you
want the passport delivered to a different address
when you get to the ‘Additional information’ section
of the online form.
• If you live in a country where we deliver directly to
your address please ensure you provide an address
where there is someone available to sign for receipt
of the passport and documents.
Contact details
• Please give as many contact details as possible and
make sure the information is accurate as we may
need to contact you about your application. If you
don’t, it may delay your application.
• To make sure our emails don’t get missed in
your spam folder, check your spam or junk folder
regularly, or adjust your spam filter settings.
• We will contact you on your mobile phone number
if we have any queries about delivery.
Previous passports
Uncancelled passports
You will be asked for details of any passport (British
or otherwise) which has not yet been cancelled.
You must send us all uncancelled passports with the
application and provide the passport numbers.
An uncancelled passport is one that is either:
• current and in use or
• has expired but has not been physically altered (e.g.
corner cut off by the issuing authority).
Lost or stolen
complete an LS01 form to tell us about the loss or
theft. You will need to send this form to us with the
declaration form. You can download the LS01 form at
www.gov.uk/overseas-passports
If you later find the passport which you reported lost
or stolen, you must return it to us.You will no longer be
able to use the passport.You may also be held by the
immigration authorities or the police if you try to do so.
For security reasons, any passport which is found by
a third party such as the Police should be returned to
us for cancellation and destruction.
If your or your child’s passport has been lost or stolen
and you are applying to replace it, you will need to
5
Parents’ details
Get it right
• born outside the UK, or
• born after 31 December 1982, or
You will be asked to provide parents’ details if:
• you are applying for your first adult passport
• you cannot provide sufficient information about
your parents.
• you are applying to replace a passport that has
been lost, stolen or damaged
Adoption
• the passport you are applying for is for
someone aged 16 or under, or
If you, or the child you are applying for, is adopted,
please enter the details of the adoptive parents here.
• you are applying to extend your passport.
We require parents’ details, and in some cases
grandparents’ details, to help us determine your
nationality and eligibility for a British passport.
For nationality purposes, parents are defined in law
as ‘mother’ and ‘father’. Nationality by birth cannot
always be gained through either parent’s national
status. This includes parents who are of the same sex.
Because of this, it is important that details of both
parents are entered on the online form.
If you were born in the United Kingdom after 31
December 1982, you will only be British if either or
both of your parents:
• were British at the time of your birth; or
• were settled in the United Kingdom at the time of
your birth.
If you were born outside the UK on or before 31
December 1982 you can only claim British nationality
through either parent. If your parents were born
outside the UK, it is not possible that their nationality
can be passed to you.
If adoptive parents are of the same sex, the parent
who appears first on the adoption certificate should
enter their details in the ‘mother or parent 1’ section
and the parent named second on the adoption
certificate should enter their details in the ‘father or
parent 2’ section, regardless of gender.
If you were born and adopted in the UK on or after 1
January 1983 then you will be a British citizen if either
person that adopted you is a British citizen.
If you were born outside the UK, and adopted in the
UK before 1 January 1983 then you will be a British
citizen if:
• in the case of a sole adoption, the person that
adopted you is a British citizen, or
• in the case of a joint adoption, the male adopter is a
British citizen.
If you were born outside the UK, and adopted in the
UK on or after 1 January 1983 then you will be a
British citizen if either person that adopted you is a
British citizen.
When a child is adopted in the UK, nationality can
be gained through either parent. If adoptive parents
are of the same sex, the parent who appears first on
If you were born before 1 July 2006, then British
the adoption certificate should enter their details in
nationality can only be claimed through the father if
the box ‘mother or parent 1’ and the parent named
your parents were married at the time of your birth,
second on the adoption certificate should enter their
or have married since.
details in the box ‘father or parent 2’ regardless of sex.
If a child is adopted outside the UK under The Hague
Grandparents’ details
Convention, nationality may be gained through the
You will be asked to fill in the section on grandparents’ adoptive parents depending on when the adoption
took place, the nationality and residence of the
details if your parents were:
6
adopters at the time of the adoption. For passport
purposes an adoption order or certificate issued by the
relevant foreign authority is required, validly certified
under Article 23 of the Hague Convention. Until a full
adoption order is made, whether in the State of origin
or in the UK, an Article 23 certificate will not be issued.
Further guidance on adoptions outside the UK may be
found on www.education.gov.uk
order has been granted, the child may have an
automatic claim to British nationality as long as:
(a) the child is biologically related to the British father and,
(b) the British father is not British by descent and,
(c) the birth mother is not married at the time of the birth.
Assisted reproduction
When a child is born of assisted reproduction
treatment performed by a licensed practitioner and
a parental order has been granted in the UK after 6
April 2010, nationality can be gained through either
parent named on the order. If these parents are of
the same sex, the parent who appears first on the
parental order (or a birth certificate issued after
this) should enter their details in the box ’mother
or parent 1’ and the parent named second on the
parental order should enter their details in the box
’father or parent 2’.
If the child is biologically related to the father but he is
British by descent and/or the birth mother is married
at the time of the birth, the commissioning surrogate
parents must seek to register the child as a British
Citizen with UKBA before applying for a passport for
the child. The child will not be British until this step
is taken. Potential parents should seek further advice
from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) website at
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
Passport applications involving surrogacy are often
highly complex and we may need to ask for further
documentation or to talk to you in person after
When a child is born of assisted reproduction
you have sent us your application. Please allow a lot
treatment performed by a licensed practitioner to
more time than our average processing times for
a female couple that are in a civil partnership and
such applications to be processed – we recommend
the female giving birth has the agreement of her civil
submitting an application involving surrogacy at least 3
partner to have this treatment, nationality can be
months before you need the passport. We are not in
gained through the partner who gave birth to the
child if the conception took place before 6 April 2009. a position to guarantee a specific processing time for
If the conception took place on or after 6 April 2009, these cases.
nationality can be gained through either female parent
named on the birth certificate. The partner who
No mention of parent’s details or ‘mother or parent
appears first on the birth certificate should enter
1’ and ‘father or parent 2’ will appear on the passport.
their details in the box ‘mother or parent 1’ and the
This information is used simply to gather the
parent named second on the birth certificate should
information we need to issue a passport.
enter their details in the box ‘father or parent 2’.
Surrogacy
Child with one parent
When a child is born of a surrogacy arrangement and
a parental order has been granted in the UK after 6
April 2010, nationality can be taken through either
parent named on the order. Where these parents are
of the same sex, the parent who appears first on the
parental order should enter their details in the box
‘mother or parent 1’ and the parent named second
on the parental order should enter their details in the
box ‘father or parent 2’.
If you are the only parent of your child, fill in either
the ‘Mother or Parent 1’ or ‘Father or Parent 2’
sections of the form, whichever applies to you and
leave the spaces for an additional parent blank. When
you get to the ‘Additional information’ section of the
online form add a note to show that you are the
only parent and why (whether you do not know the
other parent of the child, are an individual adopter, or
an individual parent whose child was born of assisted
reproduction treatment and so on).
Where a child is born as a result of a surrogacy
arrangement outside the UK to a man and a woman
and a passport is being sought before a parental
For more information on the circumstances in
which nationality is decided please visit www.ukba.
homeoffice.gov.uk
7
Additional information
Get it right
• Most people will not need to fill in this section.
The examples below show when you should
give us extra information using this section.
• Names or contact details, including email address
and telephone number that you were not able to fit
in the spaces provided earlier.
• Tell us which country’s passport your
countersignatory holds, and his or her email address.
• If you change your name after getting married but
you want to continue to use your maiden name for
professional purposes tell us here and we will add
a note on the observation page of your passport
showing your maiden name.
• If your passport is lost or stolen and you have
already submitted a Lost and Stolen Notification
form LS01, tell us here that you have already
submitted the form.
• Tell us why you need to have your passport sent to
another address.
• If you have a mental or physical condition that you
believe would prevent you from coming to, or taking
part in, an identity interview.
• If your passport is damaged, explain briefly how it
was damaged.
Passport fee
The passport fee will be calculated for you. It depends
on the type of application you are making.
You will have to pay a courier fee to cover the cost
of the return of your new passport and supporting
documents. For renewal applications the supporting
document fee covers the return of your old passport.
You must pay in pounds sterling by credit card or
debit card. You must ensure that you have checked
with your card provider that your card is valid for this
international transaction and that adequate funds are
available. The cards we accept are: Mastercard, Visa,
Visa Electron, Visa Debit and Maestro (UK Domestic).
We don’t accept Maestro (International) cards.
We cannot usually refund the fee if your application
is unsuccessful or withdrawn. This is because we will
already have carried out a lot of work in processing it.
The British passport stays the property of the
Crown, not the person who holds it. If payment is
unsuccessful we will cancel the passport and
you will not be able to travel with it or use it for
identity purposes.
• If the application is for a child and you have parental
responsibility, you should say if you have enclosed
any court orders that relate to the child’s residence
in, contact with or removal from a country.
• If the applicant was born of a surrogacy
arrangement (for first time adult and child
applications only).
• If you are applying for a British National (Overseas)
Passport you should enter the number of your
Hong Kong permanent identity card and enclose a
colour photocopy with your application.
• If the address you have given is not where you live,
please explain why.
If you need more space
• If there is not enough space in the ‘Additional
information’ section please include any extra
information on a blank sheet of paper. You should
sign this and include it with your declaration form.
8
Declaration
Get it right
• Once you’ve submitted your information online
and paid for your passport, the online service
will create a personalised declaration pack for
you to download and print.
• The declaration pack includes the declaration
form for you to read, sign and return to us.
• You will need to post your completed
declaration form to HM Passport Office with
your supporting documents and photos, to the
address given in the pack.
• We will not begin processing the application
until we receive a signed and completed
declaration form along with the appropriate
supporting documents and photographs.
• Please send these as soon as possible. If you
don’t send them within 90 days your application
will be withdrawn.
If the child’s parent is under 16, they can also sign the
declaration on behalf of the child.
If the child’s parents are not married, the mother
can give permission. The father can sometimes give
permission but usually only if he:
• has a parental responsibility order or agreement
(which must be sent with the application)
• has a residency order
• is named on the birth certificate (which must be
sent with the application), and the birth was jointly
registered on or after:
- 5 April 2002 in Northern Ireland
- 1 December 2003 in England and Wales, or
- 4 May 2006 in Scotland.
If a child has been adopted, either adoptive parent
can give permission.
If you are 16 and over, or you will turn 16 within two
weeks, sign the declaration yourself. You don’t need
permission from a person with parental responsibility.
If parents are divorced, a custody order or
maintenance order will not automatically take away
the parent’s parental responsibility. Include any extra
information on a blank sheet of paper. You should sign
this and include it with your declaration form.
For applicants with a learning disability who cannot
understand the consequences of signing the
declaration someone with parental responsibility
should give their permission. You must enclose a letter
with your declaration and supporting documents that
explains why the applicant cannot sign and who has
signed on the applicant’s behalf.
If a child has been born of assisted reproduction
treatment, the birth mother, or if this does not
apply, either parent named on a parental order or
court order granting parental responsibility, can give
permission. If both parents are females in a civil
partnership and the partner not giving birth agreed to
the treatment, either partner can give permission.
People applying under age 18
Parental responsibility
A child under 16 must have permission from a
person with parental responsibility. If a child’s parents
are married, either parent can give permission if they
were:
• married at the time of the child’s birth (or, for
those living in Scotland, when the mother became
pregnant), or
• married at any time after the child’s birth.
If a child has been born of a surrogacy arrangement,
the birth mother or, if this does not apply, either parent
named on the parental order or birth certificate
(following a parental agreement or court order giving
them parental responsibility), can give permission.
Step parents (adults who enter into a marriage or
civil partnership with someone that is already defined
as a parent as explained above) can give permission
only if they are named on a parental order or parental
responsibility agreement or have adopted the child.
9
If the child is in care or is living with foster parents,
we will need permission from the local authority
before we can issue a passport to the child. For
separate guidance notes for social services, please visit
www.gov.uk/government/publications
If the court has made an order about custody of the
child, or about the child having a passport, this must
be sent in with the declaration form.
If an adult is acting as a parent in a situation other
than one described in this section, please explain
the circumstances in an accompanying letter to your
declaration form. We will also need documentary
proof of your responsibility for the child.
If there is an ongoing custody case or a dispute
about parental responsibility of the child, we may
refuse to deal with the application if someone
with parental responsibility has made an objection
to the child having the passport. If the child is the
subject of an ongoing custody case, we are unlikely
to issue a passport without the express permission
of both parents or on the direction of a UK court,
or equivalent court order outside the UK. If we
have already issued a passport to a child after an
application has been made by one parent, the other
parent or anyone else with parental responsibility
cannot apply for a separate passport for that child –
consent of the parent who originally applied must be
provided before a replacement passport application
can be considered.
Again, if we have issued a passport in good faith, we
would not usually cancel that passport without the
permission of both parents or a Court Order.
If you cannot sign the declaration:
• ask the person filling in the application form on your
behalf to sign the declaration; and
• you must enclose a letter with your declaration form
and supporting documents that explains why you
cannot sign and who has signed on your behalf. Your
passport will note that the passport holder does not
have to sign.
Countersignature
Get it right
We only need a countersignature
when there is a section shown on
the declaration form.
Countersignatories
• A countersignatory is someone who can confirm
your identity. They need to confirm that, to the
best of their knowledge, the details you have given
in your application are correct, and they must also
confirm that the photograph is of you.
• to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• For child applications (aged under 16) it is also
to confirm that they have known, for at least
two years, the adult who signed the declaration
form. They must also confirm that the person has
parental responsibility for the child and confirm the
child’s photo.
• to renew a child passport (if the child is aged 11
or under), or
The countersignatory must:
A ‘countersignatory’ will need to fill in this section
if you are applying:
• for a first British passport
• to renew a passport (adult, or child aged 12
to 15 years) if you cannot be recognised from
the photograph in your current passport, or to
extend a passport.
• be a professional person (including those who
are retired) for example, bank or building-society
officials, police officers, civil servants, ministers of
religion and people with professional qualifications
like teachers, accountants, engineers and
solicitors – you can find a full list at www.gov.uk/
countersigning-passport-applications
• have known you personally for at least two years,
and
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• hold a British, Irish or other EU, US, or
Commonwealth passport (in that order of
preference) which has not run out. We will be able
to process applications more quickly where the
countersignatory has a British or Irish passport.
If you cannot comply with the countersignatory
requirements your application may be delayed. You
must provide a full explanation when you get to the
‘Additional information’ section of the online form and
we will contact you to agree a way forward.
The countersignatory needs to:
as shown in the example in the declaration pack
and
• put their initials next to any mistakes they may make.
The countersignatory must not:
• be related to you (by birth or marriage)
• be in a personal relationship with you
• be a commercially employed agent helping the
applicant to apply for a passport
• live at your address, or
• tell us which country’s passport they hold, and his or
her email address.
• work for us at HM Passport Office.
• review the application summary in your personalised
declaration pack and to make sure the information is
accurate
What we do with the details of the
countersignatory
• fill in and sign the countersignatory section in the
declaration pack
• give their business address (or private address if this
does not apply) and contact details
• for an adult application, ‘certify’ one (not both)
of your photographs – signing and dating one of
the photographs as shown in the example in the
declaration pack
• for a child application under 16, confirm that they
have known the adult who signed the declaration
for at least two years, and certify the photograph
(giving the child’s full name), signing and dating it
As part of our work we will check that the
countersignatory is genuine. This may include checking
their passport and other records to confirm their
identity and their profession or professional qualification.
Please make sure that your countersignatory knows
that we may contact them and carry out these checks.
We may ask you to provide another declaration form
with a different countersignatory if we are not satisfied
with your choice of countersignatory or if we cannot
contact them.
Supporting documents and delivery
Get it right
• Unless stated, we do not accept photocopies
or certified copies of documents, or documents
that have been laminated.
• If you need to send a birth certificate, it must be
a full birth certificate. (This is one that contains
the details of both you and your parents).
• If any document you are providing is in a
language other than English or Welsh, also
provide an official translation. This must be
signed and stamped by a translator who
is a member of a recognised professional
organisation to prove it is genuine.
You will need to send supporting documents and
two identical photos with the declaration form.
Your personalised declaration pack will tell you what
supporting documents you will need to send to us
and provide guidance on how your photos should be
taken. Please read it carefully to make sure that you
submit the right documents. Your application may be
delayed if you don’t submit the right documents.
If you want to replace documents issued in England
and Wales, or your birth was registered abroad at a
British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission or
HM Forces Unit, go to www.gov.uk
To replace documents issued in Northern Ireland, go
to www.nidirect.gov.uk and for Scotland go to
www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
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Delivery information
Your new passport and supporting documents will be
returned to you separately.
Our courier will aim to deliver packages direct to
customers. You should ensure that you provide up to
date, correct contact details in your application.
In some countries you will have to collect your new
passport from a British Embassy, High Commission, or
Consulate. For specific advice on where you need to
go and what you need to bring with you visit www.
gov.uk/overseas-passports
We cannot:
• take responsibility for applications and supporting
documentation which go missing on their way
to us. We can only take responsibility once we
have received the application and supporting
documents into our care. Proof of posting is not
proof of delivery.
• replace any documents that you report as missing
six months after we have issued the passport; or
• accept responsibility for passports and supporting
documents which are not delivered if you quote
an incorrect address or do not tell us if you move
house while we are processing your application.
Contact us
We will need to ask you personal information to
verify your identity when you contact us.
Passport advice
•Visit www.gov.uk
• For advice or to get a Braille or audio version of
this booklet please call the Passport Adviceline
on +44 (0)300 222 0000. (Call charges to this
number vary by telephone provider).
Travel advice
HM Passport Office cannot answer questions about
passport entry requirements for individual countries.
Information about this can be found on the FCO
Travel Advice website at www.gov.uk/foreign-traveladvice. Advice includes information on when a
passport is valid, visa information and requirements
to enter certain countries, and information on health,
insurance, and money when you travel.
Other information
Protecting your personal information
Your identity and personal information are valuable.
We protect your privacy and process your personal
information in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Your personal information will only be seen by those
who have a legitimate reason for seeing it. We will
check the information you give us with the issuing
authorities of your supporting documents, other
government departments and a credit-reference
agency to help us check your identity. We may also
pass the information you give us to law-enforcement
agencies or government departments involved in
preventing fraud to help prevent or detect identity
theft, fraud or other criminal activity. You can find
details about the personal information we hold, how
we protect it, who we pass it to and how you can get
a copy of that information in our privacy statement
on our website. You can get a printed copy of the
information by writing to us at:
Disclosure of Information Section
Her Majesty’s Passport Office
Aragon Court
Northminster Road
Peterborough
PE1 1QG
United Kingdom
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Service standards
Providing a high level of service to all our customers
is very important to us. We sometimes make mistakes,
or circumstances beyond our control affect the
standards of service. When this happens, we will
apologise and do everything we can to put things right.
We welcome your feedback on any aspect of our
service, including how we can improve in the future.
We have a disability equality scheme which sets out
clear and specific aims about how we will promote
equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Your
views are important, so please contact us by phone,
letter, email or fax if you have any ideas or suggestions
that will help us to help you.
What you can expect from us
• Our staff will be polite, helpful and professional.
• The details in your passport (including the chip)
will be correct and we will return your supporting
documents by secure delivery.
• We will give you a clear and helpful explanation
if you are refused a British passport because of
citizenship or other reasons.
Complaints about passports
1 Step one
If you have a complaint about how we handled your
passport application, please contact our Customer
Contact Centre by phone, in writing (letter or fax) or
by email.
Phone: +44 (0)300 222 0000
Write to:
Passport Customer Service Centre
PO Box 175
Newport
Gwent
NP20 1XA
United Kingdom
Fax: +44 (0)1633 473899
Email: [email protected]
When you write to or email us, please provide:
• full details of the problem
• the name and date of birth of the person the
passport was for
• the date the application form was sent to us and if
you used a courier, the courier reference details
• which of our offices the application form was sent to
• the passport number, if you have one
• information so we can contact you (name, address,
postcode, daytime/mobile and evening phone
numbers, and a fax number and email address if you
have these).
When we receive your complaint, we will
investigate and let you know what went wrong and
advise you what we are doing to put things right.
We will write to you within 10 working days from
receiving your complaint, either with a full reply or
to let you know what is happening if we have not
finished our investigation.
2 Step two
If you have followed step one and are not satisfied
with our response, or if you have a more general
complaint (for example, about a policy matter) that is
not related to your specific application, please write
to, fax or email:
Parliamentary & Correspondence Management Team
Her Majesty’s Passport Office
Chief Executive’s Office
2 Marsham Street
4th Floor
Peel Building, London
SW1P 4DF
United Kingdom
Fax: +44 (0)207 035 8421
Email: [email protected]
3 Step three
If you have followed steps one and two and are still
not satisfied, you may ask a Member of Parliament
(MP) to raise the matter with our Chief Executive or
the Home Office minister responsible for us.
4 Step four
If you are still not satisfied, you can ask an MP
to ask for an investigation by the Parliamentary
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Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman).
You can only do this through an MP.
The Ombudsman’s role is to investigate complaints
by members of the public about the way government
departments, and their executive agencies, have
treated them.
Compensation
We realise that sometimes our mistakes may cause
you expense or financial loss. In these cases, you
should follow the instructions in step one and write
us a letter. With the letter you should send any
documents that prove your claim (for example, a
receipt to show a cancelled flight). If your claim for
compensation is agreed, payment will be made by
sterling cheque. Alternatively, payment can be made
onto a chosen debit or credit card, but you will need
to provide an email address so that we can contact
you about your preferred payment option.
What we will ask you at the interview
We will ask you to confirm basic information about
yourself or your child, including information that
someone trying to steal your identity may not know.
Our questions will also be based on information
you give in your application form, your supporting
documentation and from our searches against
other public and private sector databases or
records. The questions we ask will not be the same at
every interview.
If you are invited to come for an interview, we will
write or telephone with more information.
Identity interviews
In some cases we may call you for an identity
interview in order to verify details in your application.
This will take place outside of the UK and, as far
as is possible, we will attempt to secure a location
that minimises inconvenience. In the case of child
applications we may need to talk to one or both
parents of the child. The interview will help us
to confirm your identity and that the passport
application we have checked belongs to you. You may
also be asked to attend interview with additional
documentation. This is an important part of our
commitment to help to reduce identity fraud. It will
help us to spot and prevent other people using your
identity and committing fraud in your name.
If an interview is considered necessary we will then
contact you. This process will increase the time it takes
for us to process your application.
If you have a mental or physical condition that would
prevent you from taking part in an identity interview,
please let us know when you get to the ‘Additional
information’ section of the online form. You should
also provide a letter from your doctor or hospital
consultant explaining your condition and if this is
likely to be permanent or if an improvement can
be expected.
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